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Legal vs. economic explanations of the rise in bankruptcies in 19th century France‪
[La croissance du nombre de faillites en France au XIX e siècle : explications juridiques ou explications économiques ?]

Author

Listed:
  • Pierre-Cyrille Hautcoeur

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Nadine Levratto

    (EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEET - Centre d'études de l'emploi et du travail - Cnam - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [Cnam] - M.E.N.E.S.R. - Ministère de l'Education nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche - Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Santé)

Abstract

This paper aims at explaining the changes in the number of bankruptcies during the second part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. We firstly study these changes in the perspective of the evolution of the French insolvency law; we then introduce a geographic dimension that we show to be very relevant. We indeed observe that the court of the Paris district is more tolerant than the others; however, this kind of use of the law will spread in the other courts until the reform in 1889 that creates the judicial liquidation. The spatial analysis permits us to show that the changes in the law do not explain the total variations of the total amount of bankruptcies. The local practices, the way judicial agents act and the changes in the firms' strategies are also essential in the explanation.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre-Cyrille Hautcoeur & Nadine Levratto, 2017. "Legal vs. economic explanations of the rise in bankruptcies in 19th century France‪ [La croissance du nombre de faillites en France au XIX e siècle : explications juridiques ou explications économiques ?]," Post-Print halshs-01802893, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01802893
    DOI: 10.4000/rei.6630
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01802893v1
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    2. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/6824 is not listed on IDEAS
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    7. Jérôme Sgard, 2006. "Do legal origins matter? The case of bankruptcy laws in Europe 1808-1914," Post-Print hal-01021354, HAL.
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